


vast majority

by krakenian



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Anger Management, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coming of Age, F/M, Fluff, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, References to Depression, Romance, Teen Romance, but - Freeform, like a lot of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23103244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krakenian/pseuds/krakenian
Summary: moving is hard. that was one of the first things el learned in new york. school is also hard, not to mention social groups and lunch tables and rumors and all that stuff. then one day, a visit from her friends back at hawkins changes everything.in which: el meets up with the party during christmas break and chaos ensues
Relationships: Dustin Henderson/Suzie, Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson, Will Byers/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 139





	1. pretty?

**Author's Note:**

> because juggling two fics when i cant even manage one in addition to having so much homework and exams is definitely the best idea i have ever had
> 
> HERE YOU GO
> 
> don't get me wrong the chapters are not gonna be this short this is just the start:)
> 
> ps: please go check out my other fic!

El tugs gently at her dress as she stares at herself in the mirror. A small smile edges onto her face, and slowly she rests one hand on the mirror.

“Pretty…” She mumbles to herself softly, letting herself get lost in the memories. 

Just then, a knock shakes El out of her thoughts, causing her to jump slightly. She turns around, greeting Will with a soft “hi”.

Leaning on the doorway of El’s bedroom, Will grins. “Hey. You ready?”

“Ready.”

“You realize Mike is going to freak seeing you, right?”

El tilts her head slightly to the side, confusion clouding her eyes. “Wh— f… freak?”

“Right. Sorry. It just means like, he’s going to… freak out? Do you know what I—”

Shaking her head slowly, El mouths the words softly.

“Okay, basically Mike is going to think you’re really pretty and gap at you the whole time and not have eyes for anyone else.”

Eyes crinkling, El matches Will’s grin. “Pretty?”

“Oh yeah, definitely. Lover boy is gonna drool all over you.” Will gestures towards the front door. “Mom’s waiting. Shall we?”

“Yes.”


	2. don't cream your pants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> did you really seriously think i was going to kill off billy
> 
> well, you thought wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for heavy angst
> 
> shoutout to my beta readers james and sadie though all mistakes remain mine

\------------ five months ago in that small town of hawkins ------------

Steve cautiously steps into the blinding white room and takes a seat next to the hospital bed.

“Hey Hargrove.” He swallows thickly. “Billy.” The scars are everywhere. Steve feels like he is going to be sick. 

Taking a minute to sort out his thoughts, Steve exhales shakily. “It’s been 37 days. I don’t know why I keep coming, it’s not like we… it’s not like we were f— friends, or whatever. Max came yesterday, if you didn’t know. It’s hard for her, because— well, you know, but she really wants you to get better. We all do. So if you can hear me, or know that I’m here, just… wake up soon. Please.” 

The beeping of the heart monitor continues to fill the room. Steve hastily brushes the tears away from his eyes and stands up, turning to leave.

“Sorry. You probably don’t want me here. I’ll let you rest. Uh, see you tomorrow, I gu—” Turning around, Steve’s eyes widen.

Billy Hargrove is staring at him through half-lidded eyes.

“H— Harri— Harringt—” Billy croaks out weakly.

Steve jolts, suddenly full of adrenaline. “Shit, Billy— Shit. Okay, okay, you’re okay. I’m going to get a nurse, okay? Just— just, yeah.” He dashes out of the room and tripping over his words, manages to tell one of the nurses -he thinks her name is… Sharen? Yeah, Sharen- that Billy is awake. 

After a whole lot of commotion that makes it seem like a century has gone by, the doctor steps out of the room and immediately gets bombarded by Steve’s word vomit.

“How is he? Is he okay? Did he have any infections? Is he awake now? Did you sedate him again? God, please tell me you didn’t sedate him again. When can he be discharged? Obviously not yet, I’m not an idiot, but I just wanted to know when. Can he have visitors now? Did he ask for anyone? Can I go in now?” Steve falters to suck in a deep breath, but before he can continue, the doctor holds out a hand to stop him.

“He’s stable. And no, we didn’t sedate him, but I’d be surprised if he isn’t completely worn out, given what he’s been through. In these cases we usually let our patients rest for at least a couple hours before we allow visitors, but he’s asking for you, rather adamantly, I might add. So…” The doctor gestures to the door.

“Great, great. Thanks.” Steve throws him a quick smile before ducking into the room and shutting the door gently behind him.

Billy is staring at the window blankly, one hand fingering the IV drip on his arm while the heart monitor continues to sound in the background. An oxygen mask lays unused on the bedside table, no doubt as a precautionary measure.

“Hey,” Steve starts softly. Every inch of him is screaming for him to stay where he is, but for some reason his feet decided to move closer of their own accord. “How you feeling?”

Flinching a bit, Billy turns his head a bit, wincing slightly at the pain that even a movement this small has brought. “Hey pretty boy,” he rasps out, before grimacing. “God, fuck.”

“That bad, huh?” Steve plasters on a fake smile, but he knows Billy can see through it.

Billy isn’t listening to him anymore, and is instead staring at the ceiling. “I thought I was dead. Gone.” He shuts his eyes tightly.

“You aren’t. You got collapsed lungs and lost a lot of blood, but the thing— it didn’t touch your heart. Nothing the hospital couldn’t take care of.” Steve tries to make it sound as quiet as possible, until it was barely a whisper by the end of the sentence.

“Probably wanted me to bleed to death instead, that son of a bitch.” He falls silent for a moment, looking uncomfortable with the subject. “What they say about your life flashing before your eyes when you die, it’s true. Saw my mom, California, the waves. Saw that little shit too. Max. An— and, Susan. Ne—” Just as quickly as he has started talking, Billy clamps his mouth shut, face hardening.

They sit there in silence for a while, before Billy takes a labored breath and opens his mouth as if to say something, but closes it after a second.

“You can say it.”

“Wh— what?”

“You wanted to say something. You can say it, it’s okay, I won’t get mad or anything,” Steve tries awkwardly.

Billy stares right into his eyes, like he is searching for something, anything that tells him Steve is lying. Biting his lip, he averts his gaze. “Why are you here? Last I knew, we weren’t on friendly terms. Or speaking terms, for that matter. I think I fucked that one up pretty badly.”

Knowing this was coming, Steve rubs at his face before sitting down, mulling over his thoughts. “Nobody’s perfect, Billy. I was a jerk, but those kids, Dustin, Mike… y’know, Max’s friends?” 

Billy makes a quiet noise at the back of his throat.

“Yeah, well, they gave me a home, a family, something that isn’t just bonded by blood and nothing else. My parents… we don’t— they’re never home. They probably don’t even remember my name anymore. But the kids, they care. So much that it hurts. I just thought… no one should be alone, Billy. Not even you.” He pretends he doesn’t see a tear slip down Billy’s cheek.

“I’m a monster,” Billy says so quietly Steve startles for one second, convinced he is hallucinating.

“Wh— no, Billy, you’re not, don’t say that.”

Chin wobbling, Billy looks like he is one nudge away from completely breaking down. He turns to face Steve. “Harrington, I'm every bit the monster you and your band of kids think I am."

Steve feels like there is a hand clenching his heart over and over again, and suddenly it’s hard to breathe. “No, no, Billy, you’re not, don’t say that, please.”

He’s shaking. Billy is shaking, silent sobs wracking his body. Before he realizes what he is doing, Steve stands up, pressing his knee onto the bed and climbs on, and without a second thought hunches over and wraps his arms around Billy’s trembling and fragile form.

And Billy just. Crumbles.

“It’s okay, you're okay. I got you,” Steve murmurs, tears spilling from underneath his lidded eyes as well.

Billy hiccups and says through gasps and sobs, “I— I’m sor— sorry, so, s— so sorry…”

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay.” Steve hears himself repeat like a mantra, but Billy doesn’t listen. Doesn’t seem to hear him.

“I— fu— fucked up, I’m fucked up. I hurt… hurt p— people. Th— the thing, it made, made me… d— do thi— things. B— bad things. I didn’t w— want to, it… it m— m— made me. I think…” 

“What do you think, Billy?” Steve asks gently, helping him tuck a blond lock back behind his ear.

“I th— think, I might, could ha— have fought, f— fought it. B— but I… I didn’t. I le— let it con— control me. St— Steve, I let it. I k— killed so, so many pe— people, and, and I didn’t f— fight it, I didn’t—” Billy cuts himself with a choked sob, burying his face into Steve’s chest.

Eventually, Billy runs out of steam and his sobs reduce to snivels and soft gasps every now and then. He curls up against Steve’s chest, trying his best to ignore the searing pain the position is bringing him.

Steve notices anyway. “Hey.”

Billy takes a second, but then slowly lifts his head. Steve can’t help but notice the exhaustion starting to creep into the edge of his red-rimmed eyes.

“I’m gonna help you lay back down, okay? You need to rest.”

“Okay.” Billy sounds so defeated, so broken down.

Steve grunts and shifts a bit. “Come on.”

After Billy is laying back on his bed and drifting off, Steve licks his lips and shoves his hands into his pockets. “Do you want me to… tell anyone that, that you’re awake? Like Max. She would want to know.”

Billy’s eyes fly back open. “She hates me.”

Shaking his head, Steve sighs. “No, she doesn’t. She just… she knows you’re hurting. Your parents, your mom, and…” He slowly trails off when he sees Billy visibly tense up.

“How do you know?” Billy’s voice is quiet, but threatening, and Steve is sure if Billy hasn’t just gone to hell and back he would have punched him.

Steve knows there is no point lying. “El.”

“El. That… that psionic girl?”

“Yeah.”

“That little—” Billy deflates, fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly, but not quite able to find the strength to fight Steve now.

“You should sleep,” Steve suggests softly.

Billy nods and he stares at Steve for one last second before his eyes flutter shut.

Just as Steve is about to open the door and call it a day, he hears it.

“You can tell her to come. Max. If she wants.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear i didn't plan this much angst im sorry

**Author's Note:**

> as ive said before kudos and comments fuel my life:)
> 
> what do you guys think?


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